What Goes Around
by JKimball
Summary: Summary Inside. AU. S/K that begins as I/K. Rating is set for language and violence in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**What Goes Around **

*****I will only post the summary and disclaimer one time. However, there might be a note from time to time, but only at the beginning of a chapter. Do make sure to read any notes posted as they are only done so if there is something that readers need to be made aware of, which I believe is a bit important.*****

**SUMMARY**: AU. This is a two-story tale that starts off with Kagome's first year of high school. In this story she and her brother have been home schooled almost all their lives. In an attempt to enter society without being a complete castaway because of her hermitic-like beginnings in life, Kagome makes a daring move and puts herself into a situation that takes her from everything she has ever known. She will learn many things about her host family and basic society rules of the privileged teenagers she is now surrounded by.

Things are never what they seem and finding the reason behind that truth will lead Kagome to a revelation that will rock the very foundation of everything she was taught up until that point.

******As far as the 'romantic' side of things goes, this will start out as an I/K story and move through several relationships, both long and short, but it will eventually lead to the S/K ending that we will have. Not that said ending will be perfect, and I can't promise that it will be entirely happy, but it will be more realistic than some readers might want to know. I will try to keep this as In-Character as possible, but I have based this story around several people that I know and their life situations, so there will be some personality changes imposed on our poor characters from time to time, but nothing too dramatic … I think.

Authors licensing and all that - please be kind.******

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own any of the original characters in this story. They are property of Rumiko Takahashi and her chosen associates, of which I am not one. I write for the sheer exercise of it.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Kagome hummed quietly to herself while checking the food on the stove before setting everything to it's lowest setting to keep warm. The coffee maker quietly rumbled as it brewed a gentle morning concoction. She turned to the window and watched as false dawn began to disappear.

Turning quickly to pour herself a cup of the bitter liquid, Kagome made her coffee and walked out to the shrine steps. Her gait was slow and calm, a peace settling around her as it always did in the morning. Today was Monday and so would soon be the day of the week that she had to rise and ready herself for school. Granted it was summer, school a few weeks away still, but she couldn't help but feel the little butterflies of anticipation when she thought about such things.

Her eyes drifted over the rooftops and watched beyond the mountains for true dawn. She had been watching the sun rise every morning for a few years now, having taken to the habit just after the demise of her once-estranged father. He had been a good man and his influence was still strong with her; dawn had been his favorite time of day.

Kagome thought over her coming day, the chores she would need to complete still around the shrine, and the schoolwork that needed finishing for the day. Though it was summer, she still had assignments to turn in to her mother. Just after Kagome's first year in public schooling, her mother had decided that she would be taught at home. It was almost unheard of in Japan at the time, but her mother had made it work with no small amount of effort. And so her schooling was made year-round, though her mother had ensured that both of her children would have weekends as they would have had if they were within the public school system.

Kagome didn't understand all of the reasoning for her mother's decision to teach her and her brother outside of it, but she did know that her mother detested the public system with a fierce passion. She supposed it didn't matter. She was ahead of most her age since she was given the ability to learn at her own rate. But even with the advantages, Kagome was hoping to change her situation…and soon. While the advantages to home education were many, so were the disadvantages. One of them was the social awkwardness she carried with her.

While she had a few friends from childhood, none so many were close to her and none really knew her. They were more like play date friends. Having long grown out of the age for such things to be arranged, Kagome yearned for the social interaction that a public, or even private, school setting would have to offer.

The world was a dangerous and frightening place. In a way she had understood her mother's need to protect her children, but at the same time the protection would be detrimental at best. Her mother was setting her and her younger brother up for failure. She was teaching them to survive, but not to live. Oh she knew her mother meant no harm and was doing the best she could with what she had. In fact, her mother was one of the strongest people she knew. But all in all, she was almost angry at her for the actions she had taken so early on in her life that had bled over into her children's lives.

With a sigh, she realized that the sunrise reflected much of her inner feelings. There were many colors, beautiful and frighteningly clear, but completely jumbled upon one another in a mixed up myriad of…something she couldn't quite name. It was disconcerting, but all in all she didn't mind. She was a being prone to emotions and she knew that no matter how deep or how strong her emotions were, even she would never be able to fully understand them.

It was with that last thought that Kagome stood from her morning ritual and returned to the breakfast that would soon wake the household from their nightly slumber. She had never slept much, not needing as much rest as most of her other family members, and so had taken to the task of breakfast with her early rising, and cleaning up at the end of the day when she couldn't sleep…which was quite often if she were to be honest.

+_+

The morning had been a success. With all of her studies completed, along with several for the next two weeks, Kagome was free to do as she pleased. For that reason alone, Kagome was lounging in her room and browsing around online for something interesting to do with her time. Unfortunately, she often found herself with free time and had lost interest in the world wide web quite a while ago. She just couldn't find anything worth her time on there any longer.

"Kagome, bring the books from your father's study please. I need to balance the accounts for the shrine."

Thankful for the chore that would shove the boredom from her mind, Kagome stood and powered down the laptop that was doing nothing more than take up electricity.

Knowing her mother wouldn't be able to actually sit down and concentrate on the accounts as she needed to, Kagome immediately went to the study and began pouring over the accounts and ledgers. There were a few items yet to be added that she knew of, and though there were a few others her mother would have to add since she wasn't privy to them, Kagome thought she would help by at least balancing what was there. It would save her mother a bit of a headache in the end since Mrs. Higurashi wasn't so keen on staring at numbers for long periods of time. That had always been her father's forte, and Kagome figured she probably picked up the habit from him.

With a happy hum, Kagome gathered the corrected books and delivered them to her mother in the kitchen. The scents that wafted around her made her mouth water with anticipation; her mother was a fantastic cook!

"This smells excellent mom, what is it?"

She felt the wooden spoon smart across her knuckles and jumped before she even had a chance to get a tiny taste…not even a drop was on her finger. With a playful pout, Kagome turned and sat at the table to wait patiently for her mother to finish the lunch she was preparing.

"Kagome, will you please tell Souta to come down for lunch? It should be ready in about ten minutes and he'll take at least that long to pull his eyes from the game he's trying to play in lieu of studying"

Kagome chuckled at the all-knowing comment and went upstairs. Her brother always thought that he was so smart when he was trying to be sneaky, but he never could quite pull it off. He just wasn't one for deception.

"Souta…lunch"

Kagome waited for a reply for several seconds before knocking on the door.

"I'm coming in"

With that she opened the door a bit and peeked her head inside just in time to see her little brother shove his gameboy under his bed.

"You should find somewhere else to put that. Mom already knows that spot"

She watched with satisfaction as the little twerp jumped and turned a glare on her.

"What's the point in announcing that you're going to come in if you don't give someone the time to prepare for your entrance?"

Kagome crossed her arms and leaned against the wall just inside his room.

"That _was_ your warning. It isn't my fault you're entirely too slow to actually be able to hide something as small as a gameboy."

Souta pinned her with a flat look.

"Half a second doesn't count as a warning. That's just a rude way of saying you wouldn't say anything at all if mom didn't make you"

She watched him sulk towards the stairs and decided to close the door for him.

"No, that's my way of telling you I'm coming in. If you were a girl, I wouldn't even bother saying anything."

Souta's confused look was a little amusing, but the delicious scent that had made it's way upstairs distracted her from any further comments. Instead, she shoved her brother in the shoulder to get him to move a little faster down the stairs so that she could quell her curiosity and feed her never-ending stomach. She was a tall girl with a small build, if not a little muscular from her various forms of martial arts and Shinto training, but she could eat as though tomorrow would never come.

The food was already dished and on the table, settings out for everyone except her grandfather, and for that Kagome was grateful. She wasn't sure she could hold out much longer…she was really hungry! As they sat down at the table, Kagome's mother began serving small portions to each of her children and then one to herself before settling in for a well-deserved lunch break.

When most of her food was gone, and her brother's plate long cleaned off, Kagome figured that lunch was almost over. Her stomach felt like it had dropped several degrees in temperature when she realized that now was really the only time her mother would be able to focus on a deep conversation. She was just to busy throughout the day otherwise.

Kagome cleared her throat to gain her mother's attention and noted with a small amount of dread that her mother was quite distracted. Something was bothering her, obviously, so maybe now wasn't the best time to bring this up. But she had to do it now or else she would miss her last deadline for this year.

Kagome closed her eyes in contemplation and decided that she could wait at least one more day. Time wouldn't run away too quickly and she could even do a little more research on the selection she had chosen. Better preparation would help convince her mother to agree after all.

With a small nod of satisfaction with her decision, Kagome stood and began clearing the lunch dishes and leftovers from the table so that her mother could relax for a few more minutes and enjoy a cup of tea.

"Souta, bring me your gameboy and then take your books to the study. You're three assignments behind already and I'll not let you continue this path of laziness"

The grumbling that could be heard as her little brother made his way to his room and back, and then back to his room and finally into the study, was funny to say the least. She had caught little snippets that sounded suspiciously like "unfair", "don't understand", and "slave driver". The last one made her laugh outright at his petulance. He was too cute!

"Mom, was I ever that difficult with schooling?"

Mrs. Higurashi's chuckle was filled with a humor that spoke of years of knowledge and memory.

"No, but you were a little difficult with playing. I never could get your nose out of one book or another. You were quite the student at his age and a good first student for me. I don't know that I would have been able to pull through such a thing if you had been as against it as he seems to be."

"Hmm"

Kagome sat with her mother and refilled their cups from a fresh hot pot of tea. After several moments of enjoying the peace and daydreaming about different places she hoped to go to in the next few weeks, Kagome made to stand up and return to her room for a bit more research. Her mother's words broke her reverie…and her resolve to remain quiet.

"Are you not going to tell me what is on your mind then?"

Kagome turned startled eyes to her mother. She had thought that she hadn't heard her earlier when she tried to gain her attention by clearing her throat. Or maybe she was just that transparent. That was a more likely thing than she cared to admit. Instead of lingering on the thought for too long, Kagome slowly sat back down and turned fully to her mother.

"Actually, there is something that I want to talk with you about. You seem a bit distracted though and I'll need your full attention. I didn't want to take you away from any of your duties if I could avoid it."

She watched her mother's face for any signs of thought, any emotion at all to give away what she was thinking. Instead her mother simply nodded her head with her eyes closed softly. She was certainly thinking something about what Kagome had just said, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out what it might be. Her mother gave no hints at all to her inner musings. When her mother opened her eyes and looked at her, she seemed a little distracted still. It was as if she were in another place at the same time that she was there having her conversation with her daughter.

"Well, I do have to balance the books today, but I'm sure you've already managed most of that for me…"

The knowing gleam in her mother's eyes made Kagome blush quite prettily. She really was transparent, wasn't she?

"…and I still have to finish the household chores, grade Souta's work if he ever finishes it, clean out the storeroom, and tidy up the front entrance for the end of summer events. But if you want to help me with those items, then I'm sure we can spend a little time talking now. There really isn't much left to do if we're both doing the work"

"Of course I'll help! You really shouldn't have to do it all on your own anyway"

The comment was made nonchalantly and with complete honesty, but she could swear she saw her mothers shoulders relax just a little bit. Had she really been so unhelpful? Maybe she should take on a few more chores for her mother. It would be temporary, she knew, but it would probably be something her mother needed. If nothing else she knew that her mother would appreciate it.

"Well then, how about you tell me whatever it is that's on your mind that has you so distracted"

Kagome blushed again and nodded.

"I want to go to school this year"

The words spilled from her lips in a rushed, though intelligible slur. She had thought long and hard about how she was going to present this to her mother, but that was not what she had come up with at all. Her mother really set her on edge…but maybe that was only because Kagome knew how much her mother disliked the public school system.

"Kagome, I don't think that's such a good idea"

Without giving her mother time to say more, Kagome interrupted the soon-to-be speech about all the things that were wrong with her idea. It was rude of her, she knew, but if she didn't speak first then she knew that her mother would never hear her out. This was not the first time she had tried this. Her attempts to attend a Junior High School were thwarted quite effectively by her mother in less than two minutes.

"Please let me tell you about this before you tell me why I shouldn't do it."

Her eyes were pleading with her mother to just hear her out, just let her tell her all of the wonderful and difficult things she had endured to try to get what she wanted. Other than her eyes though, her body sang of sheer confidence and poise. She was quite proud of her composure at that moment, especially when her mother nodded for her to speak and she didn't cheer like she so badly wanted to do.

"I understand everything you told me those years ago when I first asked you to let me join a public school. I spent three years considering those words and your opinion. After doing a lot of research and really considering my options, I think it would be a good decision for me to attend a High School for a couple of good reasons. First and foremost, I need the social interaction. I'm not worried about making friends or dating…or anything of that sort. Actually, I'm worried a little about my ability to live outside of the Shrine once I've graduated. I don't have the social skills of most people my age because let's face it…I haven't been around anyone but my family for years. Going to the park and the mall does not count. Second, there are programs that I could join that would be beneficial for my University applications. Not many scholarships are doled out to candidates with no social networking to speak of. Mom, the list goes on. There are literally dozens of reason why I should do this. I need to do this. Please let me do this."

Kagome sat with bated breath while her mother considered her response. She had carefully left out a couple not-so-small details for the time being. She didn't want her mother's decision swayed in any way; she had to make the decision free and clear of any influence other than cold, hard facts.

"You do have a point, I'll concede to that. But even if I did agree with you, it is too late in the year to take your entrance exams and apply to a good school. If you do ever return to school like this, I will not have you going to one that you were forced into merely because it was the only option available"

Kagome bowed her head, her shame a little more than pressing on her conscience.

"I already took the exams and applied to several schools. Three of them accepted. I'm to give my reply by Friday"

The silence was deafening. Kagome was terrified to look up and see the disappointment that she was certain her mother was feeling written all over her beautiful face. She was not left waiting long for her mother's verbal response though. "Did you now?"

The words were soft, barely more than a whisper, but Kagome did not look up because of that. No, it was the lack of conviction, the shear amount of true curiosity that she heard in that gently worded question that made her look up into the eyes of her mother. What she found there had shocked her to her core.

Resignation.

Curiosity.

Shock.

But most of all, approval.

Kagome smiled at her mother and left the table. She made her way upstairs to grab her small stack of letters and results and returned to the kitchen, her excitement building along with her confidence with each step she took.

She handed the information to her mother, the results of her exams being the last her mother would look at, and sat down to wait again in agitated anticipation. This was the deciding moment and it was eating her alive from the inside out!

"Fukushima High School, Nara High School, and Osaka High School. Kagome, these are very impressive. Your exam results are even more so, though I expected as much from you. But perhaps you could explain to me first why you chose schools so far from home and then maybe how you expect to get there. What exactly did you think would happen once you accepted these? We can't move. I can't leave the shrine. Even if I could, I haven't got the funds or schooling available to support such a thing. This is not possible"

Kagome felt her stomach turn with disappointment. This was exactly what she didn't want her mother to focus on.

"Well, Tokyo was booked almost a year ago with acceptances. I'm not surprised by that actually. I had applied anyhow, and their letter indicated that I could attend there next year if my grades were good through my first year at whichever high school I happened to attend, but they didn't have room for me this year. And I already knew that it was a possibility. I planned for something like this to happen…just in case…"

Her words tapered off as she saw the anger glint in her mother's eyes. This wasn't going at all like she had hoped.

"What exactly do you mean you 'planned for something like this'? What could you have possibly 'planned' that would change anything, Kagome? We live here. In Tokyo. Not in Nara, not in Fukushima, and not in Osaka. Tokyo. Those places aren't even close! I will not move."

"Mom-"

"No Kagome. I won't listen to another word"

"But mom, if you'd just-"

"NOT another word!"

Her mother rarely raised her voice. Kagome couldn't honestly remember the last time that she had done such. It frightened her in an all too primal way and had her standing before she could think any further. Her legs shook beneath her and her eyes filled with tears. She didn't want to cry and didn't feel that the situation truly warranted such a reaction, but she couldn't help it.

She turned and walked up to her room in silence, her tears slipping away before she could stop them. She would never know how much her mother slipped down into her chair or how she cradled her head in her hands and let her own tears fall.

Kagome spent the evening going through the motions of cleaning the front of the Shrine grounds and then tidying up the storeroom, paying special attention to the display cards of each item so that her mother and grandfather could easily find what they needed. She also made a list of the items that would need to be restocked before the summer events began so that they didn't run low on some of their more popular trinkets.

After that was finished, she made her way into the courtyard and took over the sweeping for her grandfather so that he could get some sleep. Already it was dark and the moon was full, turning to a bright white with it's new skin at the beginning of a new cycle. It was because of said moon that Kagome had no need of unnatural lighting to clean the stone steps around her.

When she completed the courtyard, she noted that the light above the kitchen entry door was on and the door was cracked just a tad so that she could enter for the evening. Deciding that it was best to call it quits for the night, Kagome returned the broom to the storeroom and went into the main house.

She noted that everyone was asleep, or at least in their rooms already. She had not wanted to talk any longer with her mother today about the school issue, but she still held out a small glimmer of hope that her mother would at least realize that she had more to say and ask her to finish her conversation. She felt deflated and altogether defeated.

This wasn't working the way she had wanted it to, but she didn't want to give up hope just yet. As she had tried to tell her mother, she had made plans for such a situation already that would not impact her mother in the least bit. Well, at least not apart from allowing her to go that is.

With a sigh Kagome moved through the house and tidied up all the things that she knew her mother had been aching to clean up but clearly did not have the time to do. Kagome didn't mind in the least that she was the one taking care of most of the items on her mother's to-do list from this afternoon. As a matter of fact, it had given her the time she needed from her thoughts and kept her from sinking into a dour mood. She never could think straight when she was upset, so she was grateful for the reprieve.

Once she was finished with the household chores, Kagome set the coffee pot to brew a fresh pot in the morning on automatic. If she was going to be able to get into one of the schools that she had been accepted into, then she needed to get working on her backup plan right away. Even though it pained her to go behind her mother's back like this, Kagome just couldn't give up. She wanted this more than anything else in her young life and needed it more than she wanted to.

This was going to happen. She was going to go to school. It would be this year and it would be all her own accomplishment. That would be her greatest gift to herself and a bit of a gift from her mother. She would thank her mother for forcing her hand one day, she just knew it!

Kagome spent the next few days carefully working through her plans. She was terrified and thrilled all at the same time when the letter she had been waiting on arrived on Wednesday morning. She had needed that letter more than anything before she could send out her response to one of the schools. That letter would determine which school she would go to…if she would even go at all.

With a trill of fear and anticipation running through her veins, Kagome hugged the letter to her chest and thanked every deity she could lay name to that her mother was out grocery shopping at that moment. She needed to do this on her own and determine her next steps before her mother was informed of any of her movements at all.

Kagome sat on her bed and shook with an unnamed emotion. She wasn't sure if she was excited, nervous, or about to puke. Perhaps it was a bit of all of that meshed together to create the trembling thing she had become at that moment.

She was careful to slip a finger under the lip of the envelope, not bothering to go to the study for the letter opener. But her frustration at the glue that held the envelope closed and kept the letter from her fingers was more than she could bare at that moment and she soon found herself ripping the envelope almost too forcefully. Thankfully though, the letter was not torn, only a little crinkled.

With ease and more care than she thought she could muster, Kagome laid out the letter on her desk and sat down to read.

"Miss Kagome Higurashi,

It is with great pleasure that we extend this letter of invitation to you. Your conditions as a resident student under our program will be discussed upon your arrival on 3 September 2001. Please accept our sincerest congratulations on your recent accomplishments and our warmest welcome. We look forward to assisting you in seeking to further your education within our great school. We are pleased to announce that we have found a donor family that is willing to take you into their home for the complete 4 year term of your education.

Your donor family has agreed to pay 100% of your transition and education fees as long as your grades reflect that of an above average student. Their information is attached, along with a personalized letter for your perusal. You will meet them and sign your release forms with them upon your arrival.

Attached you will find the itinerary for your first and second day here and also the tickets necessary for your arrival by train, as requested.

Please be well and return response to the contact information listed below.

Thank you and congratulations once again.

Senior Headmaster,

Tokogawa, Shiro"

Kagome's eyes watered as she gasped for air. It was happening, it was really, really happening! She did it! She found her own way! And these people, this donor family, HER donor family, was willing to pay…for everything!

She couldn't have asked for a better gift than this. She had thought that she would have had to get a job to pay for at least some of her tuition and supplies, but this… this was so much more than she had ever dared to hope for!

Kagome scrambled the papers out of her way to find the itinerary with a very nice photo of the school attached to it. Beneath that, she found a packet with several tickets that would take her to her new destination, a new life. And finally she came upon the letter.

With awe and gratitude that nearly choked tears from her eyes, Kagome moved to her bed and lay on her back before unfolding the letter and reading what was contained within; it was her first introduction to the new family she would be staying with.

"Miss Higurashi,

Though I know that it is not common practice, I wanted to send a letter with your award news so that you might be able to have a bit of information about my family before you arrive. My name is Taishou, Touga and I am married with two sons around the same age as you. My wife, Izayoi, has long wanted a daughter and as we were never blessed with one, she has taken in many girls under her tutelage. I am certain you will find her doting most pleasant, for it can be considered nothing less.

My two sons are Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, ages 17 and 15 respectively. Both of them will be attending Osaka High School and will be there for you if you should need anything. I will say this though, boys are boys and do not expect them to be more than that. I am certain you will enjoy their company. They too were schooled at home, though only until they were finished with their elementary schooling. You will find much in common with them I am sure.

Last but not least, I would like to congratulate you on your accomplishments thus far. You are very brave to be undertaking such a task as education so far from all of those people that you know and love. I would like it to be known even before you arrive that should you feel the need to return to your home for any reason and at any given time, all you need do is say so and it shall be done.

Please feel free to return correspondence at the address below or call me. Your arrival is very much anticipated my dear. Be well and we will all meet soon.

Yours Sincerely,

Taishou, Touga"

Kagome smiled with wet eyes and a swell in her chest that she couldn't quite explain. He sounded so wonderful! She was eager to get there even more after reading the letter he had attached and she realized that she did not expect to be as excited as she was at that moment. She was nervous as all hell, that was certain, but her excitement was more.

With deft fingers, Kagome refolded the letter and got up to place it in her treasure box. It was one of the few trinkets she would be taking with her on this incredible journey. She looked down to the itinerary and stared at the schedule for a minute, not quite absorbing everything that it had to offer. But she did happen to notice something that made her heart pound furiously in her chest.

Kagome picked up the tickets and held them up for perusal, the itinerary still clutched gently in her other hand. Her train would leave at 5 am on the third. Kagome's eyes widened in shock…today was the first…she only had two days before her arrival!

Kagome closed her eyes and forced her breathing to even out, lest she pass out from a panic attack. This was all a bit sudden and she was finding air difficult to come by. But, she reminded herself, she did still have a day to pack and to let her mother down as gently as possible. Granted it wouldn't be as gentle as she had wanted since time was not on her side, but it could still be done. Her determination to see this through would allow for nothing less.

It was then that Kagome noticed another small problem that she hadn't quite anticipated. The letter on the back was a release form for her mother to sign. How was she going to get her to do that?!

Several hours after the mail had come and Kagome had received her incredible news, said girl was sitting on the shrine steps waiting for her mother to return from the hospital. Apparently her grandfather had run into a wasps nest and been stung. He was most unfortunately allergic to the little insects and not just a little old. He just couldn't fight off the poison the way he had when he was younger. It was one of these little things that she knew would one day take him away from them, but not today. She knew it wouldn't be today because, well, she just knew it. She could never explain why her instinct on such things were so adept, but they were and she would not question it.

Kagome let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding when she finally saw her mothers figure coming up the Shrine steps. More than anything Kagome had been worried that the woman would run into some sort of danger at this late hour of the night.

"Child, you know you shouldn't be out here this late"

Her mother's chiding was considerably downplayed by the laughter in her voice. Kagome smiled.

"I can't help worrying. Is grandpa okay?"

Mrs. Higurashi's nod was short but easily read. Grandfather was going to be fine, but he was not doing well at that moment. Aging could do that to a person though.

Kagome stood when her mother made it to her side and reached out for a hug. The quick embrace said many things, but more than anything it was their apologies. They were each sorry for the way their tempers had gotten out of hand yesterday and both were ready and willing to move forward. That was their way. With that, they made their way inside the house, each going directly for their rooms to let go of some of the stress from the day.

Kagome found it hard to sleep that night as she warred with herself for hours. Every bit of her soul begged her to know the words, the actions, the when, the where, the how… all of these stupid little details didn't just matter, they were everything. But no matter how hard she tried, Kagome just could not piece together the puzzle of telling her mother that she was moving out in barely more than twenty four hours. And then her doubts set in again.

She was 14 for crying out loud. Her birthday was only a mere two weeks away and she was, in effect, running away. What was she thinking? Why had she ever thought that this would work? What a disaster!

But she had to do this. She had known that it was going to be hard…had made her decision with this very scenario as a very real and the most likely outcome in mind. She could do this. She _would _do this! She just wished her mother would listen to her for five minutes.

The next morning found Kagome with all of her bags packed (the whopping two she was taking) and stored secretly in her room. Who knew she had so little to call her own? But all of that packing and planning had caused her to only sleep for a mere hour and a half. There were now bags under her eyes that looked like bruises.

Her morning ritual was done in quiet, almost zombie-like steps. Her state of mind at that moment was questionable at best. As she sipped on her bittersweet coffee, she f\reflected how much of a liquid lifeline it was just then. Her thoughts kept circling back to her mother and the upcoming discussion they would have. She knew that it was going to be a very heated one, but she held out hope that her mother would at least hear her out this time.

But, she mused, it could also be very cleansing, and open, and honest, and calm, and…who was she kidding? Her mother was going to skin her alive. Period. No question to it.

With a groan, Kagome went back inside to finish breakfast and wait for her impending doom. Her nerves were really starting to get to her.

Morning came and went with her mother in her usual flurry. The act was expected and Kagome had planned to have her nice little heart to heart let down with her mother after lunch. But when two o'clock rolled around and her mother still hadn't returned from the market, Kagome began to worry.

She fretted over her clothes, her nails, her hair, and then took her nerves out on the shrine and the main house. When her mother finally came through the door at almost seven that night, she found a house that sparkled in a way that it hadn't in many years. And when Kagome spied her, she took note of the much too tired appearance of her mother.

"Oh Kagome, bless you! What would I ever do without you here to help me?"

Her sincere gratitude hurt like no other. Guilt kicked her in the gut like the hooves of a powerful mule.

"Hi mom, is everything alright?"

Her mother looked surprised for a mother, but that quickly turned to a look of apology and light regret.

"I'm so sorry baby! I forgot to tell you that I'd be out all day. I had to meet with the school regarding you and your brothers new grade assignments"

Kagome felt everything inside her drop into a bottomless pit until she wanted to puke. On the same note she wanted to dance in circles because she had just been given the perfect opening for her dilemma.

"Actually mom, I need to talk with you about that…"

Her mothers eyes turned on her with a quiet fury that held her feet pinned to the floor and her tongue tied in knots that she just couldn't seem to undo.

"We'll not be discussing those schools again"

It was a tone that brooked no argument, but Kagome had no choice. Instead, she steeled her resolve and straightened her back.

"I have it all worked out-"

"Not. Another. Word"

Each word punctuated with the short and firm anger in her mothers eyes should have shut her up, but she couldn't go without trying to get through to her. She was leaving in less than twelve hours.

"Why won't you-"

"ENOUGH!"

Her mother never raised her voice at her like that.

"But mom-"

"Your room. Now!"

Kagome's eyes widened as she took in her mothers shaking form. Her anger was palpable. There was no helping it though. She had tried. There wasn't more she could do…she didn't have the luxury of time.

"I'm sorry mom"

Kagome took a deep breath and walked calmly to her room. She knew her mother wouldn't understand her apology for what it was at that moment, but it was enough that she had said it because _was _sorry.

As she laid on her bed, secure in the knowledge that she would at least be rested by three thirty in the morning, Kagome had only one thought.

_I tried _

Mrs. Higurashi rose early the next morning in hopes of having at least a few extra minutes with her daughter. She didn't want her to give up on this, this year just wasn't possible. If they planned this properly, then Kagome could attend Tokyo High School next year. It would be a set-back in her daughters plans, she knew, but it was the only solution that the older woman could come up with that would appease them both.

She stared at the dark kitchen and then turned to see the time on her large wall-mount clock. Six thirty. Kagome had never slept in before. Perhaps she had been a bit too harsh these past few days.

Mrs. Higurashi sighed and walked upstairs and into her daughters room. When she sat on the bed and found it empty, her heart dropped.

Rushing to the light switch by the door, Mrs. Higurashi flicked on the switch and took a steadying breath. Her fears were met with an empty room bereft of most of her daughters belongings. She did notice, however, that there was a letter lying not-so-innocently on the bed where her daughters head should have been.

As she sat and read the confession, Mrs. Higurashi couldn't help the tears that fell from her eyes or the regret that filled her heart.

"_Mom, _

_Please don't be angry at me for too long. I tried so very hard to tell you about this. I wasn't only accepted at those schools, I was also accepted into a program that covers my full tuition and living expenses for the next four years. _

_I know that this is hard for you, and I understand that you're scared right now. What you have done for Souta and me is nothing short of incredible; I couldn't ask for a better mother. _

_But mom, you had to know that things had to change some day. I'm sorry if I forced this on you before you were ready, but I need this. More than anything right now, I need to learn who I am and how to make mistakes. _

_I have to take my future into my own hands and learn how to shape it the way that I want it to be. I know that you can understand that more than most. For better or worse, this is the path that I have chosen. But more than anything, I just don't want to fight with you mom. _

_I love you. As a mother and as a person, I love you so much! _

_I know that you need to know where I will be and who I will be around. And I'm sure that you will meet everyone in my life soon. Please call me when you're ready to talk about these things. _

_Your daughter forever, _

_Kagome" _

There was no small amount of anger flowing though her just then, but Mrs. Higurashi was nothing if not honest. She was more proud of her daughter for her decision, her courage, and her follow-through than anything. She would call her, but first she would get a cup of coffee and straighten her thoughts just a bit.

Kagome stared out the small glass window and watched as her breath created patterns on the pane that muted the scenery just beyond her reach.

Japan was beautiful in her early morning bath of light, but the mountains were downright majestic. The earth practically hummed with power in those predawn and early morning hours.

Kagome loved every minute of it.

She took her eyes away from the world and looked down at the small cell phone in her hands. The clock read seven am. Her mother was definitely up and would have found her letter by now, if not then fairly soon she was sure.

Kagome blinked when the screen flashed, her home number blinking before her eyes. With a deep breath to steady her pounding heart, she answered.

"Morning mom"

"Kagome"

Her name, the way her mother said it, said so many things all at once and Kagome had to close her eyes to keep from crying.

"Oh mom…I tried to tell you"

"Kagome listen to me. I am angry…but I'm very proud of you"

"What?!"

Kagome's eyes opened with her pure shock and she felt her lips tilt up ever so slowly as she listened to her mother talk.

"I should have listened. You deserve to be heard and I didn't do that for you. I'm sorry. And I want you to know that you will be visiting me on holidays…I won't bend on that!"

"I'm sorry too. I just need to take this chance, to be me, and to learn what that really means. I love you so much mom!"

Her tears threatened to swallow her alive. Thanks the gods she had her own room on this train. She wasn't sure she could handle others seeing her tears.

"How long is your ride dear?"

"Oh, um, I'll get there tomorrow morning around six am. I'm going to Osaka. Do you want me to call when I get there?"

Her mothers soft laughter was filled with tears and broke the dam that had kept her own at bay.

"What a silly question. Of course I want you to call me…the moment you step off that train! No matter how big you get or how far away from me you move, I will always need to know that you are safe and well. You are still my baby girl after all"

"Always"

"I love you Kagome. Be strong and call me often. And send me lots of photos of your new home and all of your new friends. Now you settle back for your trip and enjoy the journey. It's the best part."

"Thank you mom. I love you too!"

The call ended and Kagome sat back against her plush seat with a sigh, fresh tears running down her tanned cheeks, only this time these tears were filled with relief. So much stress and doubt had been washed away with the few well placed words her mother had offered.

_Chapter 1 pre-summary: Kagome meets her new school officials, tours the school grounds, and meets the family that she'll be living with for the next four years. She will notice how strangely white-picket-fence they are and at the same time how completely different they are from any others she has ever met. They definitely have a family secret, but will she want to know what it is? _


	2. Chapter 2

I won't apologize for the delay in updating. It's later than expected, but it's here. Obviously my 1 to 2 week schedule won't be as possible as I had initially thought.

A note on the style of my writing for this story: I was going to work with a simple one-POV structure, but there were a few elements that would be missing that I just did not want to give up. So, in the name of good fun, I'm going to do a multiple-POV story, but I'll work to refrain from switching between POV's too often.

Enjoy

**Chapter 2**

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+  
**What Goes Around**

The train coming to a stop on it's rusty tracks woke Kagome from her light doze. She was slightly shocked to find that they had already arrived in Osaka which brought on a sort of light headed daze for the poor girl. She spared the view outside only a small glance before turning and retrieving her rather meager sized carry-on bag from the closet in her sleeping room.

Being that the train was such an early one, there hadn't been many people aside from the weary business men on board that Kagome had noticed. But when she stepped into the hallway and made her way to the exit, she realized just how empty the car she was in had really been. A sudden bout of loneliness hit her and she had to close her eyes to refocus on walking.

As she stepped out onto the platform, she noticed that there were several signs that led to many different luggage areas. Some of them had characters on them that she wasn't entirely certain she had translated properly. Being from Tokyo meant that Kagome was raised with the standardized inflections of the Japanese language, but the further one got from Tokyo, the more interesting the language became.

Kagome was unsure where she should go to get her two large bags and turned to find an attendant to ask for some assistance. She didn't see an attendant standing anywhere near her, but she did see something else that captured all of her attention and curiosity.

With a light shrug, Kagome pushed through the growing crowd near the train to find a stubby looking bald man holding up a card with her last name written rather elegantly, though spelled incorrectly.

When she was close enough to inspect the little man, Kagome noticed that he was rather ugly. He appeared to be no more than four feet tall with bulging round eyes and a sickly green tint to his skin. She could only hope that he was not any relation to the family that she would be staying with. She was positive that she would never be able to eat anything around this guy. Kagome was usually not so judgmental, but this little guy was weird in a creepy, short, sick sort of way that put her on edge.

Hoping against hope that he wasn't going to be a constant in her new life, Kagome cleared her throat to gain the attention of the rather strange looking person in front of her. She was a bit amused when he squawked and almost dropped her name card.

"Higurashi I presume"

Kagome smiled and nodded to the toad-like man.

"Well don't be so happy about it. Let's get moving"

Correction, toad-like crab-man. Kagome stood there for a minute and wondered why on earth her host family would send such a rude person to pick her up from the station. Shaking herself from her thoughts, she realized that she was being left behind and jogged to catch up to the surprisingly quick little guy.

"Wait, my bags!"

"Stupid girl. They are already in the car waiting for you, now hurry up!"

His words were once again filled with that strange squawking sound, though this time he sounded like he was angry with her for something. That couldn't be right though…she only just met the little runt!

'Well,' she thought, 'I'll just ignore you for the rest of our trip toady!'

Kagome felt an unrealistic amount of glee at her (in her opinion) quick witted nickname for the rude little man. He really ought to have been just a little bit nicer.

Still she followed him out of the station, getting caught in several small crowds along the way, only to realize that she had lost him. How he moved through such a crowded area without being trampled at least a little bit was beyond anyone's guess.

Fearing she wouldn't be able to find him with his small stature and all around disregard for her location, Kagome ran for the nearest exit. When she broke free of the last crowd at the street, she could hear the tell-tale squawk calling out to her.

"Over here girl. We've got to get moving."

Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. She'd about had it with his weird attitude towards her and it was really starting to piss her off.

"My name is Kagome. You'd know that if you would have asked!"

He floundered and squawked as though someone doused him with water before glaring up at her with what she presumed to be an intimidating stare. It wasn't working.

"I know your name you stupid girl! Get in the car!"

Toady's indignant little huff made Kagome feel slightly better about being left behind to be trampled, so instead of whacking him for his rudeness she decided she'd let it go. There was no sense in meeting this new family with a bad mood hanging over her. First impressions and all that.

All in all she was just hoping that the little runt would leave her alone for the remainder of her trip to the house. She hoped even more that the ride was short; she was so tired of sitting.

Kagome eyed the sleek black car that she was being told to get into and barely stopped herself from gawking. She knew the family had money, or at least she figure they did anyway. This, however, was more than even she had imagined. Of course, she certainly wasn't complaining!

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

The ride to the house was by no means short, but at least her chauffer left her to her own devices. He hadn't seemed the chatty type and she wasn't in the mood to strike up a conversation with him. Needless to say, she was a bit more relaxed by the time they reached the house.

Then again, who could actually call this place a house? It was more like a mansion. A very old, traditional style mansion at that.

Kagome didn't mind traditional since she had grown up on a shrine, but that was so very different from what she was looking at now. The shrine certainly covered a lot of ground, but the actual house was fairly small in comparison. She was quite certain that she would get lost a few times in this place if the entire thing was the living area. She sincerely hoped that wasn't the case.

As she moved to open the door, Kagome heard the croaking voice of her chauffer.

"The master and his wife are good and kind people, but do not mistake that for weakness. They are a strong force and are not to be meddled with. Do treat them properly. The boys, however, well you may as well keep that temper of yours around for them."

Kagome sat in shock for a moment and tried to process what he had just told her. Obviously he adored the mother and father, but the sons seemed to be another matter. And just what on earth did he mean by 'keep that temper'? What temper?

She didn't get a chance to ask him for clarification, however, as it seemed he had already exited the car. Kagome decided it didn't really matter in the end and decided to get out herself. She jumped out of the car and proceeded to stretch her poor, young, aching muscles.

A deep and warm chuckle from somewhere behind her made her pause and turn around. When she spotted the owner of the deep voice, only one thing came to mind, 'rich indeed'.

The male Adonis stood regally at the top of a set of steps and was decked out in one of the most expensive suits she had ever seen. The dark pants seemed to flow around his legs like water, and the cream button up top seemed just as soft and hugged his body in all the right ways.

Kagome blushed at her thoughts and ducked her head into a bow. His silver hair was a clear indication that this was the elder Taisho and she was checking him out. Eww!

Kagome stood straight again and noticed that the woman behind him was dressed in robes that appeared to be just as expensive as her husbands, but she had everything opposite of him. White pants, dark top, dark eyes and rich brown hair all made up the woman standing next to the man that she could only describe as 'white'. They looked like the living image of Yin and Yang.

With a start, Kagome realized that she was staring and bowed again, this time a bit deeper as an apology. When she righted herself again though, the male completely disarmed her with a charmingly warm smile.

"Do not worry with such formalities right now. Come. Was your ride comfortable?"

"Y-yes, thank you. I'd never been in a sleeper car before so that was new. It was much better than the main coach cars. Although I don't think I'll want to sit for a long time.

She was really beginning to get used to that laughter of his.

As Kagome began to follow the pair into the house, she jumped and turned to run back to the car.

"Wait! My bags!"

"Kagome, darling, they are taken care of. Come and have some tea so that we might learn a little more about each other."

Kagome turned disbelieving eyes to the master of the house. Those were her belongings. Why on earth would anyone else get them for her?

"Um, ok"

Hesitantly, Kagome resumed her place behind what she assumed was her host parents and frowned. Without proper introduction, she had no idea if these people were in fact her host family. And even if they were, she wasn't sure what she was supposed to call them. Obviously 'mom' and 'dad' were out of the question, but did they prefer Mr. and Mrs.? Or perhaps a more traditional 'sir' and 'madam'? Kagome was so confused.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

Two hours, three cups of tea, and several mix ups later, Kagome found the door to her new room. Izayoi-san was going to show her the room but had been called away to business at the last minute. Touga-san was apparently off trying to locate the boys so that they could all be properly introduced. That left Kagome to her own devices for a bit, which was just fine with her. After the initial culture shock, or maybe it's financial shock, the only thing that Kagome was certain of was that her family was poor and the Taisho's were not. It would take her a while to adjust, if it was even possible to do so.

Her lip quirked a little crooked at the style of the room. There was a nice set of dark wood furniture that included a dresser, two night stands, and a desk. There was also a mounted flat-screen television (complete with remote control), a speaker system, two phones, and an extremely comfortable looking queen sized western-style four poster bed with the most inviting looking down comforter and fat, fluffy pillows. Oh yes, this was very nice, but it was so much more than she was used to having.

She also noted that her bags had been, thankfully, left untouched for her to unpack at her own leisure. There was no proof that Toady was the one that brought her items in, but she just couldn't shake the thought that he was and she was positive that she did not want him anywhere near her unmentionables. The simple thought of him touching her personal belongings made her shudder.

With a sigh, Kagome heaved her suit case onto the bed and opened it to begin unpacking.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

Voices. Loud voices. Loud male voices. She couldn't remember when she had fallen asleep or even what time of day it was, but she could make out the simple fact that there were at least two, possibly three male voices that were keeping her from her rest. And what on earth were boys doing in her room anyway?

"I have better things to do than to watch a child sleep"

"Sesshoumaru Taisho, you are barely old enough to drive and so help me if you continue this disrespect I _will_ confiscate the car that I purchased for you."

"To what purpose would you do such a thing?"

Kagome didn't understand how someone so young could sound so…cold. He didn't even seem upset that his dad just threatened to take his car away. Any sixteen year old that she knew would definitely be upset about that one. Maybe this guy was a little defective?

"Lessons, my boy. Always there is a lesson to be learned. In this case, it would be respect"

She'd had enough listening and decided that they could take their conversation elsewhere. She was too tired for this nonsense.

Unfortunately Kagome couldn't seem to find the energy to even get up and tell them to get out of her room. She felt her arms and legs, but they felt like lead weights and refused her commands to move. Instead of getting up then, she would just tell them to leave.

It might have been a tad rude to not properly sit up and address them, but she really didn't have the energy. She was up all night and then spent those ungodly hours on that train. Her little cat-nap on the train did nothing to waylay this exhaustion either.

When she tried to speak though, all that she could manage was a small noise that sounded strangely like a moan. She sounded like a flipping ghost! Oh, but she felt like one too.

"Kagome, darling are you alright?"

Kagome moaned again and tried to sit up. She was still unsuccessful, but at least this time her eyelids listened to her demands.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

He could hardly believe that his father took him from his Kendo classes today for this. The girl wasn't even awake for crying out loud!

He knew that he needed to properly meet the girl since his father intended on keeping her for the entire term of her high school education. But honestly, it wasn't like she was going to up and run off if she didn't meet him by supper time. His father could have waited until his lessons were over for the day.

It didn't matter in the end. He was here now and that was that. Unfortunately for him, though, so was his younger brother.

Sesshoumaru cast a dirty glance to the half-sibling he so loved to hate. Why the two had to meet this new girl at the same time was beyond him. His father knew that they were a disaster together, so really it seemed counterproductive to introduce them as a big, happy family.

When he heard her mumbling something to his father, his thoughts returned to the girl. If she turned out to be anything like Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru would personally take her home and leave her there for good.

"She is clearly exhausted father. Perhaps we can meet her another time."

Sesshoumaru excused himself from the room before his father had a chance to even acknowledge the fact that he had spoken. He didn't care whether the girl was going to wake up or not. There were better things that he could be doing with his time right now.

Besides, she would probably turn out just like the last girl his mother tried to 'take under her wing' and end up going after either himself or Inuyasha. He hated that so many people were after them for the inheritance that they would receive later on in their lives.

That last girl had Inuyasha in over his head by the time he was old enough to think girls were pretty and not gross and now all there was to show for it was a broken sense of puppy-love and Inuyasha's ridiculous ego displays whenever the girl showed up.

Sesshoumaru really didn't mind the idea of his mother taking another girl in. In truth he was a bit worried because she was the first girl to actually live _with_ them. The entire experience with this girl would be new to everyone and the thought that they might possibly end up with another money-hungry girl hanging around the house was a bit unnerving.

He truly hoped that this new girl didn't turn out to be anything like Kikyou had been.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

"I'm sorry Taisho-san. The train ride must have worn me out."

"Keh. Can't even stay awake after a short ride? What's wrong with you anyway?"

"Inuyasha!"

Kagome peered around Touga-san's broad shoulders and smiled. The boy was somewhere around her age and definitely a typical teenage boy from the looks of it. He had a look about him that just screamed 'wild'. His hair was white like his dad's though, which was something to contemplate. Perhaps some genetic disorder?

"Hi"

"Keh"

Kagome almost giggled at the way he crossed his arms and huffed. He was so childish and cute!

"Sorry about sleeping in on you guys like that, but I'm not used to long rides or anything. I usually don't travel much at all really"

Kagome looked back at Touga-san with a bashful smile and asked what time it was. When she learned that it was after seven at night, she almost screeched. How could she miss out on an entire day?!

Kagome groaned when she realized that she probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonight either. That would just be lovely. First day, sleep all day. Second day, drag butt around the house. Great first impression Kagome!

"Well, why don't we all go down for supper then? You can freshen up and meet us down in the dining hall when you're ready"

Kagome nodded to Touga-san and shooed Inuyasha from her room. She could hear him saying something about rude girls as soon as her door was closed. With a smile, she walked into her bathroom and washed up for dinner.

It only took a few minutes to look presentable again, so Kagome decided to join the Taisho's as quickly as possible. Her stomach kept reminding her that she really needed to be down at that table pronto!

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

Kagome bolted down the hallway to the stairs and collided headfirst with the wall. Perhaps she shouldn't run in the house when she wasn't entirely familiar with her surroundings.

"Are you alright?"

Kagome blinked and looked up into golden eyes swimming with concern and amusement. When she realized that she was still pasted against his chest though, Kagome quickly removed herself from his personal space.

"I am so so sorry! I just didn't want to be late to dinner"

"Supper is being served late on your account already. Perhaps the risk of injury is not worth the hurry this time"

Well that wasn't very nice!

"Oh, you must be Sesshoumaru-san. I'm Kagome. I'm so sorry I didn't get to meet you earlier. I was very tired you see"

"Yes, I had noticed. And to think I left my Kendo classes early just to meet you"

Kagome blushed hotly and muttered another apology before scooting around his figure and making her way downstairs. It was really annoying that he was talking down to her like that, but really her manners had been atrocious! She felt horrible for making him miss his lessons for no reason at all.

Kagome walked into the dining hall and greeted the three Taisho's that were waiting patiently for her. Apparently they had all waited for her and were doing it with smiles and everything! She felt even worse now.

She sat in the chair that Izayoi-san pulled out and kept her head down. She was certain her face was beet red with embarrassment already and really just wanted to get this over with and go hide in her room. Her mother would be so ashamed if she knew how poorly she had been treating this new family.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

Sesshoumaru sat down at the table and watched Kagome with perfectly-veiled interest. She was already proving to be different than Kikyou…or any other female that he knew for that fact.

She wasn't upper-class, that much was painfully obvious. Her posture was terrible, as were her manners, and her idea of freshening up was obviously just splashing a little water on her face.

He knew that the middle-class society, even upper middle-class, were much more casual and relaxed in just about every aspect of their lives then those of his kind were, but she seemed a bit extreme even for those standards. It wasn't that she was appalling, just different.

He couldn't quite place what it was that set her apart, but there was something about her that just wasn't like everyone else. And to be perfectly honest, he wasn't sure if that something was a good thing or a bad thing.

At least she had table manners though, he mused. She seemed to know to wait for his father to start eating before she touched her utensils, and she was eating with her mouth closed. He did notice that she wasn't very skilled with her chopsticks. She had probably been allowed to use the spoon whenever she felt like being lazy though. He'd heard many people chose this less-than-refined option when in the comforts of their own homes.

He also noticed that she didn't start chatting about useless things at the supper table. In fact, she hadn't said anything at all since supper began. Although that could have simply been her nerves, being in a new home and all that nonsense. She certainly struck him as the emotional type, but most girls her age were that way anyhow.

All in all, she seemed decent enough, and once trained up a bit then perhaps they could all go out into public without embarrassing themselves too badly. One could only hope.

"Father, the understudy for Jirou-san called this afternoon. He wants to meet with you this weekend. I told him your secretary would contact his."

His father nodded and continued to eat as though nothing had been said. Sesshoumaru was nonplussed though; that was the way of things. Since his internship at the office this summer was coming to a close, he figured his father would need to start handing things back over to his secretary for handling. Goodness knows the woman had enough of a break these past two and a half months with him there doing all of the work.

It was good study though, since it was a part of his inheritance. He would need to know every piece of the business inside and out. That was really the only reason he had agreed to do such menial work in the first place; the experience was priceless. That, and his father added bonus cash to his monthly spending limit for the summer to make up for the lack of spare time he'd had. There was now a sizable savings in his secondary account for his eventual moving expenses in a few years.

Sesshoumaru was cut from his thoughts by his father's voice.

"Kagome, darling, did you rest well today?"

He glanced over to her in time to see her blush. It was slightly charming to see her like that.

"I did, thank you. And I'm sorry again for nodding off like that. It wasn't terribly polite of me"

"Sweetheart, there is nothing to apologize for. You had a long night and needed the rest. No one can fault you for that."

Sesshoumaru watched his stepmother coddle the girls emotions and wanted to sneer. Perhaps she didn't fault her for it, but he certainly could. She had fallen asleep before she had even properly met everyone in the house, and in the middle of the day no less. It was very uncouth.

"Thank you again. I hope that I can sleep tonight so tomorrow doesn't drag too"

"Doesn't what, darling?"

He was quite amused to see the new girl squirm just a little bit.

"It means she doesn't want to be tired tomorrow mom."

Sesshoumaru bit back the scathing comment he had in mind for his little brother. The twerp was trying to get on his mother's good side since he'd wrecked one of her prized paintings last weekend so he was being completely docile and overly helpful lately. It was ruining the entertainment he'd had with the new girl's discomfort.

"Oh, I see. Kagome, I do have some medicine that could help with that if you'd like"

"Oh, um, thank you but no. I don't like medicine unless I'm deathly ill or something. Seems unnatural to me"

Shocked again, Sesshoumaru simply watched Kagome turn down the only means she would have to get a decent nights rest. She was definitely strange.

The rest of the meal seemed to pass with a strained sort of silence.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

Kagome flopped back onto her bed with a sigh and stared at the ceiling. Dinner was highly uneventful, though she did learn a few things about the new family.

First and foremost, Touga-sama was a very busy and important person in Osaka's upper society, though she wasn't sure exactly what it was that he did; however, she did figure out that it had something to do with the Diet. Izayoi-sama was a stay-at-home wife with lots and lots of hobbies. Sesshoumaru-san was the eldest of the two brothers; he was also extremely smart, but he seemed very distant socially. And last but not least, Inuyasha was her age physically but her brother's age mentally. He seemed to have his own sort of brilliance about him that was slightly charming though.

The whole family seemed to function as any other family in Asia, white picket fence and everything that came with that. They were very busy, but they ate dinner together. They were very interested in each other, but they were worlds apart from each other…from everyone really. It was very un-warm, but not really cold. It certainly wasn't home either. Other than their very practiced routines, they seemed pretty ok.

There was one thing about the family that struck her as odd though.

_Knock, knock_

Kagome jumped a little and called a soft 'come in'. She watched from the corner of her eyes as the youngest Taisho opened her door and stepped in. Her eyes were immediately drawn to those strange attributes that had her so confused, the silver hair and gold eyes.

"Hey, you tired?"

Kagome sat up and shook her head. There was no way she was getting sleep tonight.

"Thought so. Here, I've got just the thing to knock you out"

She watched him cross her room and grab the remote from her dresser before waving his hand in front of the television. Apparently there was a sensor somewhere that turned it on that way. That was cool!

"I've got this really old television set at home that is the size of a washing machine! Has all the old knobs and everything"

Inuyasha's laughter was rough, but very easy on the ears. She could tell almost instantly that he liked to laugh.

"Do you like anime?"

"Um…"

"It's alright, there's a huge selection on here at night. We have the presets so that you can record stuff during the day when you're at school or the salon or, you know, wherever it is girls go."

Kagome smiled at his sudden shyness and scooted up on the bed to lay against the headboard. After adjusting all of her fluffy pillows, she patted the spot next to her so that Inuyasha could sit. As he sat down, he handed her the remote and started explaining all of the functions.

Kagome moved the remote out of his way and started checking out the shows, times, and favorites sections so that she could set up her own presets.

"I'm not a complete recluse you know."

She heard him laugh again and it made her smile. If she could get along with him this well all of the time, then it wouldn't be so hard adjusting to this new place.

"Watch with me?"

"Sure"

Kagome and Inuyasha settled back onto the pillows after finding one of the older anime shows to poke fun at. They spent most of the night laughing at the terrible plots and cliché endings. And somewhere around two in the morning when Kagome finally nodded off, Inuyasha grabbed the remote, turned off the television, tucked her in with her coverlet, and shut off the light before heading to his own room for some much needed r and r.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

The next morning was met with a bright sun, a warm shower, and a lot of grogginess. No matter what she did, Kagome just could not get her internal clock to function properly.

She dressed early and went downstairs to search out the coffee pot. They were rich so they had to have that at the very least. It was a universal thing.

When she got to the kitchen though, Kagome noticed two things that would be very problematic in the morning. First was the fact that all of the coffee's were in different languages. She wasn't even sure if some of them were actually coffee. And second was the shocking fact that even their coffee pot had more functions than her old television set.

Kagome placed the maker onto the kitchen island and plugged it in. That was, again, a universal concept. After that though, she wasn't sure what to do. She walked in circles around the island, studying and poking the maker to see if she could figure out what to do next to get it to brew her that magically bitter liquid she so adored.

After several minutes though, she was certain that the maker had outwitted her. She had studied every angle of it and still couldn't figure out even where to put the coffee beans. There were four compartments in total, three of which had filters (removable, not disposable) and the fourth which was clearly the pot.

It took her a total of 14 minutes to figure how to plug in the coffee maker and where the end product should end up. Other than that, she was completely at a loss.

With a sigh, Kagome plopped onto a barstool and stared at the maker. Her brows were drown down in her perplexity and her body was slumped in another universal concept…defeat.

"Stupid rich…thing. I can't even call you a coffee maker, can I? You're much too fancy for that nonsense"

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

She was interesting, of that there was no doubt. It was very amusing to watch her circle the island like a huntress zeroing in on it's prey. Only problem was that she was going to lose to her prey. He knew that much before she had even plugged it in.

He enjoyed watching her stalk her prey, now and again poking at different places and opening different compartments. But the most amusing moment was when she started talking to the inanimate object.

He figured his entertainment was just about spent and decided that he would help her out, just this once.

Quietly, as though she would scream if he were any louder than a small mouse, Sesshoumaru walked past the island and noted how she just stared at the machine. Apparently she didn't notice him still.

With ease and silence, he opened the cupboard with the coffee beans and tea leaves and pulled out his morning brew, walked to the fridge and pulled out the milk, and finally ended at the island. As soon as he pulled out the top right compartment, he finally saw her jump. That was the most amusing thing she'd done all morning, and to her credit he noticed that she did not scream.

Sesshoumaru set about making his morning brew and pulled out two cups. Once they were both ready, he returned the coffee beans to the cupboard, the milk to the refrigerator, set the trays from the maker in the sink, and placed the machine back in it's place on the counter.

He sat down at the island and pushed a small porcelain bowl towards the still silent girl and handed her the first cup.

"The sugar is in that container, cinnamon in the other. And that is not a coffee maker, that is an espresso machine."

He watched her nod, still mute, before bringing the cup to her lips. Her soft inhale did not go unnoticed, just as the tension that she held being melted away did not go unnoticed.

He was pleasantly surprised when she took a sip and pushed the sugar to the side, clearly intending to not add any. Very few people took espresso's straight. Then again, she was probably in need of the shock effect after having such a rough start yesterday and last night.

"Thank you so much. I would never have done that right on my own"

"Hn"

They sat in a comfortable silence and sipped their espresso's until the sounds of the house waking could be heard. The sun had risen, and with it the occupants of the Taisho household.

"You've a busy day today. Perhaps you should prepare"

"I've a what?"

"The school meeting was moved to today since you arrived yesterday, rather than the day before"

"Oh, I hadn't really thought about that. Thank you"

Kagome stood and rinsed out her cup. As she made her way to the door, she paused and turned back for a little more advice. He was being social this morning, moreso than last night anyway, so she figured she ought to try her luck.

"I'm not really sure what to do to 'prepare'. I…that is…it's never…well, I mean…"

"Have you never dressed yourself for school before?"

Her blush was cute.

"I've never gone to school before"

"What?!"

Apparently Touga-sama and Izayoi-sama hadn't shared the peculiarities of her upbringing with their sons.

"I, um -"

"Kagome, darling, good morning! I hope you slept well. I've got all of your items laid out for you. This school doesn't have the traditional uniforms during summer, so naturally we'll just have to look our best. Come, I'll help you get ready. You must be so excited!"

Saved by the mom. Kagome was sure there was no way she would have the first inkling of what was proper to wear to a meeting at a high school or how to go about choosing the right accessories and whatnot. But she couldn't deny that she was excited…and nervous.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

Kagome watched through the rear window with fascination as they finally pulled up to the school parking lot. The school itself was incredibly large and well kept, even throughout the summer session apparently. Kids were walking around the campus as though it were the middle of a semester.

"Some kids live on campus and attend year-round to further their studies for scholarship applications. It's a lot like college in that way I think. You could look into summer courses as well if you'd like. You wouldn't have to live here though"

Kagome smiled at Izayoi-sama and nodded. Somehow the woman just knew what she was thinking.

They got out of the car and walked up a flight of stairs and crossed a large expanse of grass, foregoing the walkways that would take longer for no apparent reason. As they made their way through the different compounds of the school, Kagome could hear people milling about in different areas, mostly outside. A few of the passerby's would nod and smile, and she would return the gesture.

The whole place seemed very relaxing and friendly.

_Thwack!_

Kagome stopped in her tracks and turned her head to the left. She knew that sound.

_Thwack!_

She didn't even realize she was moving until she heard that sound again, though much closer this time.

_Thwack!_

Kagome peeked around the corner and watched in reverence as a tall girl with long, flowing brown hair stood up straight, pulled her arm back and took a deep breath.

_Thwack!_

Kagome smiled as she watched the girl practice. The fact that there was an archery row on campus made her head spin with excitement. One of the few 'dangerous' pastimes that her mother had allowed was archery, though it was only because archery was the choice style of Priestess' of old.

Kagome closed her eyes and listened to the hum of the string, the chatter of the bow, and the smack of the arrows head making contact with a target. It was heavenly to listen to and she was so caught up in her moment of bliss that she didn't even register the attention she had garnered when she sighed louder than she had meant to.

"I didn't realize you were interested in such things my darling. We could enroll you in a beginners class if you'd like"

Kagome spun around muttered an apology for walking off.

"I've actually had lessons since I was six years old. My mother wanted me to learn the ways of Shinto. But I'd love to join all the same!"

"Well, the classes are usually full before summer even starts the year prior, but I'm sure we could use a bench marker just in case"

Kagome turned around again and eyed the beautiful girl in front of her. She was certainly around her age, maybe a year older, but she was definitely not the same breed as Kagome. Her eyes were cold and distant, as was the odd vibe she was giving off. Whatever it was that had offended the girl, Kagome was positive it had nothing to do with her.

"Okane-chan, please meet the newest addition to our family, Kagome. Kagome, this is Kikyou Okane. She's a brilliant young woman and very talented with the bow"

Kagome bowed respectfully, but not too deep, to the girl. She was disappointed when all she received in return was a slight inclination of her head. It reminded her a lot of Sesshoumaru.

Kagome turned to Touga-sama and was about to ask where they should be heading, but he seemed to have beat her to that.

"We need to get going, meetings and all. Perhaps we can meet for tea sometime so that you two young ladies might have a chance to properly get acquainted before the fall semester begins"

"Perhaps"

Kagome watched the girl turn and walk away without so much as a glance in her direction. She knew without a doubt that Kikyou would not be joining her for tea time any time soon. It didn't matter too much in the end because she was only one person among a sea of many.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder if all of the girls were going to be like Kikyou. She was very unwelcoming and a little rude. It made the small knot in Kagome's stomach grow and twist in odd and uncomfortable ways.

And as she followed behind the Taisho's, Kagome let her mind wander to all of the possible reasons Kikyou might have for disliking her so quickly. If she could figure that out, then maybe she wouldn't have such rotten luck with the rest of the student population.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice that the Taisho's had stopped walking until she ran into the back of Touga-sama.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!"

Kagome blushed and tried to correct herself while immediately working her way into a bow.

"Darling, that's quite alright. You've got much on your mind I expect. Come, meet your new councilor. This is Nishikawa Mitsuka "

Kagome moved around Touga-sama and glanced at a tall woman with long, stringy gray hair. Her eyes were a deep brown that just sang warmth to her.

Kagome bowed and introduced herself before taking a seat on the bench that was offered.

"Kagome, today we will go around and learn the school grounds. Your class schedule has already been arranged, except for your elective class. Electives are offered on a first come-first serve basis, so there may be a few that don't have any openings. We'll make sure to have that all worked out before the fall session begins. For now, this is your interim schedule. After you look that over, we can go around to your classes and a few other areas to help acquaint you with the school a bit."

Kagome nodded and took the paper from her new councilor. After studying the list for a while, Kagome was suddenly eager to see the rest of the school.

"Nishikawa-sensei, are all of these classes on the same day?"

"Oh, no darling. Let me show you"

Kagome watched with delight as her councilor pointed out the scheduling and her classes. Apparently they had half of their classes one day, and the other half the next day. Fridays were casual and arts days. The sound of that was absolutely delicious to Kagome. Those days were where you could opt to either attend one of the many arts classes, one of your electives classes, any number of study halls, or any tutor classes that you needed. So long as you attended school that day and listed with a class, you received credit for the day.

The idea was simply fabulous!

After the explanation on class breakdown, Nishikawa-sensei handed Kagome a thick packet of papers and told her to familiarize herself with everything inside. It contained information regarding her electives, requirements to continue her attendance at the school, and a student conduct handbook that had a form in that back which had to be signed and returned to Nishikawa-sensei on the first day of school.

Once the information was explained, the small group headed off to familiarize Kagome with her new school. The more she walked around the campus, the more excited she became. The knot in her stomach was slowly twisting itself into a thousand little happy butterflies.

By the end of the tour, Kagome was smiling so large that she was positive she looked downright cheesy to anyone walking by, but she just didn't have it in her to care what they thought. She had worked so very hard to get to school and she was finally seeing the fruits of all of her labor. This was really going to happen!

The best part was that school was only two and a half weeks away. She could hardly wait!

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

Next up, Chapter 3 (hopefully with less of a delay than this one took)


End file.
